Traditional sliding glass doors have two panels with one that slides along rollers to cover the other.
French doors versus sliding doors.
Traditional sliding glass doors consist of two large glass door panels.
French doors there are other considerations to make but generally speaking sliding doors create the illusion of no door while french doors do the opposite.
The track can be unattractive in appearance.
Sometimes called gliding patio doors aluminium sliding doors differ from french doors in that they are made of larger panes of glass and slide open and closed.
Traditional two panel sliding doors are available in wood fiberglass or vinyl.
Pella architect series sliding doors.
A sliding glass door frame is typically narrower than a french patio door frame which means it will allow more natural light into your home.
A classic model has two side by side panels that swing in or out from hinges on the sides of the frame.
French doors typically use weather stripping at the floor level where the doors meet to prevent water ingress.
Sliding doors open by sliding either one over the other or sliding out from the centre over fixed panels.
Sliding glass doors are a great option in rooms with less space flexibility as they don t swing to open like french or hinged patio doors.
A considerable difference between french doors vs sliding doors is the track involved with sliding doors.
A french door consists of a frame around one or more transparent panels that may be installed in matching pairs or in a series.
Although don t forget that they meet in the middle and can let air in.
The actual sliding door is a moveable rectangular framed sheet of glass that is mounted on sliding rollers which slide along a fixed track parallel to the fixed neighboring glass partition.
French patio doors can be considered a little more energy efficient as the central glass panels can be smaller by being set into wider frames whereas sliding doors are almost exclusively created from glazed panels.
The sliding track deters many people from this option.
French patio doors are mostly made of glass and look similar to windows.
French doors and sliding doors have different hardware.
French doors have a wider door frame.
However the wider frame on a french patio door is a more traditional style which many homeowners desire.